TragedyMisunderstandings
by Babygirl Garcia
Summary: Things are changing in Storybrooke, magic is awakening and people once thought lost will be found...OUAT spin off, I don't own any of the characters or story or song or anything...if I did...well I'd be right in there with them! Pease R and R :) this is my first fiction and would love your thoughts :)
1. Chapter 1

Tragedy...Misunderstandings

Authors Note: This started off in my head as a songfic, but now I'm not so sure :) I heard the song "Tragedy" by Christina Perri, and thought of Rumplestiltskin and Belle. This is an OUAT spinoff..I don't own any of the characters, the story the song to anything at all...if I did...wellI'd be right in there with them all!

The Beginning

He looked at the unopened invitation in his hand like it would bite him. There were very few things in this world that puzzled Mr Gold, but this seemingly unsuspecting invitation resting in his hand made him pause for thought. His brown eyes focused on the parchment, willing it to reveal any dark magic that it might possess.  
It remained dormant in his hands.

He lifted it to his lips and blew gently over the writing, willing it to give up its secrets, but still nothing. It was just a invitation. Opening it and focusing on the words, he read softly to himself in his Scottish brogue "It's been a while Mr R Gold, you might be interested in taking a trip to the Dark Castle." Below was written the date and time, and with the final flourish, the location. The Dark Castle - the old manor on the hill that overlooked Storybrooke. Indeed it had been a while since Mr Gold had been there. When the first of his memory of his previous life, his parallel life, started coming back to him,and his power began to grow again, he took to seeking out all the inhabitants of Storybrooke, recognising the ever cheerful Snow, her "twue love" Charming, Red, Granny, Regina the Evil Queen...the list continued.

The woman that ran the Dark Castle, was none other than the Sea Witch. It didn't escape Mr Gold as ironic that his "old" house name was now used for the place where the Sea Witch resided, or that it was the only place in Storybrooke that showcased the "arts", such as music, theatre, movies...all pure "magic" to the townsfolk. Like almost everything in this town, Mr Gold owned the property that the Dark Castle resided on, but other than this connection, had Mr Gold ever had the inclination to set foot over the threshold.

Focusing back on the invitation, Mr Gold realised that the Sea Witch had not sent this invitation. It was someone else. This is what had puzzled him so greatly...it read to "Mr R Gold". No one in this cursed town remembered or knew who he really was, and no one knew his first name. He knew that Regina (the Evil Queen) was starting to feel uncomfortable in this new world, that things may be starting to shift, but he knew she had not yet made the link at all.

And it was for this reason, the first time in a very long time, Mr Rumplestilskin Gold let himself feel a little excited. The invitation may not have held any dark magic, but it did hold the magic of possibilities and something new in the air.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Mr Gold exited his car, placed his gold handled cane in his right hand and proceeded to walk up the pathway towards the Dark Castle. Taking a look around the car park, he realised that most of Storybrooke was at the Castle tonight. He mounted the steps and walked into the foyer. The crowd that mingled there waiting to go into the theatre for the nights performance, momentarily went silent. Well thats one way to make an entrance, Mr Gold thought to himself as he walked purposefully into the room. The lights of the foyer lit up the gold thread running through his black suit shirt, and it glinted off the simple gold tie pin nestled in his jet black tie. His hand made black suit wrapped around him like a dark lover, hinting at his strength and power just below the surface.

Most of the townsfolk knew Mr Gold, and either owed him money or owed him a favour, and were quick to avert their eyes as his own scanned the room taking in who was there. Mary-Margaret (or Snow as Mr Gold referred to her in his head) broke away from the crowd and made a line over to where he stood. "Miss Blanchard" he said, his voice holding a slight sarcastic edge as he inclined his head. "Mr Gold" Mary-Margaret replied with a lovely welcoming smile gracing her beautiful features. "I didn't know you liked this kind of show, isn't it fantastic that Ursula was able to secure them at such a late date?"

"Indeed." Mr Gold replied, mentally adding "and there's a great many things you don't know about me dearie, a great many things." Mr Gold looked over to the right to see the poster advertising the nights entertainment. "For one night only, an amazing display of song dance and acrobatic feats of the Russian Gypsies! Featuring never before seen song and dances." Ahhh thought Mr Gold, this is why the whole town is here. Though by and large Storybrooke, as "protected" by the curse, was isolated form the outside world, some things still managed to break through. The phenomenal following of this group had broken that barrier.

"Ummm enjoy your night Mr Gold" Mary-Margaret stuttered as she looked beyond Mr Gold's left shoulder and turned to beat a hasty retreat to where Granny and Red were standing. "Mr Gold" his name was hissed between serpentine lips. He slowly turned to face Ursula. "Madame" again he inclined his head, wishing to himself that tis pretence would be over with and he could meet the person that had asked him here tonight. Normally he liked the thrust and parry, the cat and mouse games he played with most everyone he met but tonight, for some reason, he felt restless and on edge... and not in control. He didn't like that feeling at all.

"Mr Gold, thank you for gracing my humble establishment tonight. I didn't know you were connected with the Russian Gypsies. I'll take you to your box now if you would be so kind as to follow me." Before she had finished her sentence, Ursula had already turned and started to lead the way to the lifts which would take them to the second floor where the balcony entrances were. At the mention of the connection with the Russian Gypsies, Mr Golds famous mask slipped, and for that split second he was at a loss, he had no connection with the gypsies, at least none that he knew. And Mr Gold made it his business to know pretty much everything. The second thing that puzzled him, as he followed Ursula into the lift and up to the second floor, was this business of a private box. He hadn't purchased one, what did this mean? Perhaps he would meet his anonymous "inviter".

Ursula kept sliding looks at Mr Gold out of the corner of her eye. That man is just a steel mask, never gives anything away she thought. She lead him to one of only a few private boxes that looked over the theatre stage. as Mr Gold followed Ursula in the box he noticed two large winged back chairs covered in plush red velvet, and between the two chairs a tea service, simply set for two people. Both chairs were empty. "Take a seat Mr Gold, the show should be starting momentarily." hissed Ursula as she slid out of the room. Mr Gold slowly made his way over to one of the chairs and sat down watching the Storybrooke folk below file into their seats to watch the performance.

The lights dimmed, the curtain rose, and Mr Gold was still in the box alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Introducing the Russian Gypsies! We are proud to be here tonight in Storybrooke, we'd like to take you on a trip through the wonders of fact and fiction! We have some new acts tonight and we would feel privileged to be able to share them with you!" At this statement the crowd clapped and cheered, while Mr Gold, sitting above it all, alone and apart, mentally rolled his eyes "Get on with it" he thought.

"Our very first act is a new one, by our beautiful girl, retelling a tale as old as time with a song she has written herself...please welcome to the stage our newcomer Belle!" The crowd cheered and Mr Gold, at the mention of Belle's name, sat up straighter and sucked in his breath. Belle. That one name alone could reach into the cold depths where his heart resided, and give it a warm squeeze... His Belle, lost forever in the old world, lost forever to him for all time. Out of instinct Mr Gold searched out the crowd for Madame Mayor Mills and noticed even in the dim light the colour drain from her face. Mr Gold smirked to himself, well it was interesting to see that Regina was uncomfortable at the mention of that name.

Music swelled and filled the theatre, heavy heartbreaking guitar started the melody followed by a lone violin, as smoke spiralled across the theatre floor and two dancers came onto the stage. A beautiful girl in a blue peasant dress and a man dressed as a beast. Mr Gold snorted under this breath at the sight, oh so familiar with the tale, and saddened that the story never told the real ending. That the Beast had pushed his beauty away through his own cowardliness, and was never able to have his happy ending.

My host had better show himself soon, thought Mr Gold, or I will be leaving. He looked onto the stage to see a huge red rose suspended from the ceiling being slowly lowered onto the stage, the outer petals falling away to reveal a lone woman with wild brown hair cascading down her back, clad in what looked to be like leather breaches and a flowering burgundy shirt. Mr Gold smirked at the clothing...thinking the he himself used to wear the same garb when he was the Dark One residing in his Dark Castle.

The audience held their breath as she began to sing. Her voice was beauty itself, the emotion flowing through the notes as she sang brought a tear to several eyes.  
"If you could envision, the meaning of a tragedy...you might be...surprised to hear .." As she sang those first lines she slowly turned her body to face the crowd and raised her piercing blue orbs up to meet Mr Gold's brown ones "its you and me". As she held the last note and held his gaze, his heart stopped. Belle. His Belle, was alive, in front of him, looking at him as if she knew him...really knew him. He was frozen to his chair...what in gods?

"When it comes down to it, you never made the most of it...so I cried cried cried...and now I say goodbye.." Mr Gold tore his eyes away from the vision that was Belle to look at the dancers on the stage, as did she. The dancers moved back and forth with the lyrics, acting as though it was an actual conversation between the two... "and I won't be made a fool of...don't call this love" Both dancers came together and then danced away from each-other, The Beast to afraid to believe that the Beauty loved him, she to proud to let him break her heart or taint their love with his fear.

Mr Gold looked back to Belle, hardly daring to believe what was in front of his own eyes. After sending her away from the Dark Castle, after believing at first that Belle had died at her own hand from unhappiness, then finding out as he was trapped in the dungeon before the curse struck, that she had been calling for him as she lay trapped and dying in the Evil Queen's tower...well he had thought that she had died when the curse struck. When his memories has started returning, he looked for Belle, any traces he could think of...but nothing had come up, even Regina had not shown any recognition when Mr Gold made his delicate enquiries...now however, as he flicked a lightning glance to her face, and saw slow puzzlement graced the Mayors face. Wonderful, he thought sarcastically, now was just the time he needed the Mayor to realise that something was happening in Storybrooke that she was not in control of.

Looking back at Belle to see that she had returned her gaze back to him. She had her body facing the crowd below, her Beauty and her Beast dancing around her, but her face was slightly up turned, and her eyes didn't leave the lone man sitting in the private box. Her sky blue eyes held tears, held so much depth of emotion as it poured out into the song. Mr Gold realised that she was singing just to him, she had written this song, for him, for them. "When did you decide, that I didn't have enough to buy? Forgive and forget you a thousand times, for the fire and the sleepless nights. And I won't be made a fool of, don't call this love."

How could she be here? How could she remember? How could he not have know, have felt that she was still alive in this world? The questions ran around in his brain as she continued to sing to him, to pour her heart out to him, in front of the whole town. He felt his world narrow until he only focused on her, on her body, her voice, her eyes that never wavered once while she sang. "Why did you feel the need to prove that everybody else was right? No, I won't fight...don't call this...Love?" she caressed the last word, made it a question, a hope as she held his eyes with her own. The two dancers continued to move around her, slowly coming closer together, finally resting on the rose, entwined in each others arms as the music faded and the lights dimmed.

There was a moments silence and then the theatre erupted into clapping and cheering that reverberated throughout the room. "Isn't she a beauty? With the voice of an angel! Please lets hear it for Belle!" the host shouted into the microphone to be heard over the crowd. Mr Gold sat glued to his seat...Belle..was here in this building, and she knew him, she had looked at him as she stood solitary on the stage, singing just for him. Against all odds, she was alive, here, and untouched by the curse. As Mr Gold reached for his cane, preparing to get up and go find his Belle, the door to the box opened to let in a lone figure.  
"Mr R Gold" it greeted him, as the door was closed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

He stood there transfixed, watching the shadowy figure leave the complete darkness of the entry way, and made her way over to stand right in front of him.  
Belle.  
He looked at her shoes, leather boots encasing her feet and calves, black leather pants that clung to her lithe form, his eyes travelling up the dark brown and gold vest, and burgundy flowing shirt, covering the smooth white skin pointed chin, wide cheekbones, tilted nose and coming to rest in a pair of cerulean blue eyes which were filled with unshed tears.  
"Belle."  
he breathed, "you're real...you're..alive?"He hesitantly reached a hand out to gentle touch her cheek, lightly skimming his fingers down to reach her shoulder and hold on.  
"Rumplestilskin." Her melodic voice confirmed that she was here in front of him. Before he had a chance to react, she shrugged off his hand, only to move into his personal space and wind her arms around his body,resting her head under his chin, her nose pressed into his neck where he swore that she she breathed his scent into her lungs. Moving slowly, hardly daring that it was real, Mr Gold placed his arms around his only love and pulled her closer to him. He rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed...how was this possible he thought?  
Belle slowly pulled back, enough so they could see each-others face, but not enough to be out of Rumplestilskins arms. The smile that graced her face was breathtaking, the love shining out if her eyes was enchanting, he couldn't begin to hop that that love was for him, after all that she had been through.  
"I see that you accepted my invitation" she started, seeing the questioning looks he was giving her, and watching it change to surprise, "Yes, I was the one that sent you the invitation, its taken a lifetime for me to find you."  
"Belle?" he said again..." you were looking for me? How...Why...?" the normally eloquent Mr Gold was at a lost, his lost dream was suddenly standing in front of him. Never had he imagined that he would see Belle again. He thought she had died when the curse struck, her body weak from the torture that the queen had inflicted would have made it near impossible for her to have survived the curse, and when his search had yielded no Belle in this world, Mr Gold had assigned himself the task of finding his son Bae, having the curse broken, and returning home.  
"Come," Belle said, pulling back a little further to reached for one of his hands, taking it in her small one, she led the dazed Rumplestilskin to a love seat that was in the dark shadows of the corner of the room, sitting down, then pulling him down beside her. Once he was seated she got back up, headed over to the forgotten tea set, and made two cups of tea, bringing them back over and handing one to Mr Gold.  
He automatically took it, holding it in his hands as he stared at Belle, still in shock she was alive. He was afraid to do anything, incase she magically vanished before his eyes. Belle reached out and touched his cheek, gentle wiping an unknown tear that had escaped his eye and had started to make the journey down his cheek. Mr Gold gently leaned into the caress, eagerly drinking up her touch, briefly closing his eyes as he inhaled the scent that rose from her skin. The warmth of her touch, her beckoning scent calling to him, her beauty sitting so still before him...all of this slowly invaded his senses as he realised she was really here in front of him, now, willing to talk with him.  
"Please Belle," his scottish brogue caressed her name as he looked into her eyes, gentle placing his free hand onto her knee to keep the connection, "tell me how this is possible? How are you here?"  
"It's a rather long story, but I'll start at the beginning. " she smiled gently into his eyes, resting her hand over his and giving it a small squeeze. " After I left you, I had some adventures, spread my wings as it were, I hadn't wanted to go back to my father, that was no longer my home. My home was with you, and since I couldn't be there I thought I'd try my hand at adventure." She said, with no hint of bitterness or anger at the thought she had no home, Mr Gold however looked crushed at the thought that Belle had wandered alone. "Hey it's ok" Belle said, realising where his thoughts were taking him. "It made me strong, these adventures, and it didn't stop my love for you, it only made it stronger. After my last adventure where I the damsel saved the "handsome prince" " she said with a twinkle in her eye and a flick of her wrist so very similar to the Rumplestilskin of old that she managed to raise a smile to his face. "I decided enough time had passed and I would go back to you, talk things through, make you understand that I love you, and no queen had put me up to "destroying the beast", but rather it was only a naive girl wanting to release you from your darkness. I realised that it was wrong of me to assume without asking the reason, Rumplestilskin, and I'm..so very sorry I hurt you." At those last words she lowered her head, seeking forgiveness. Mr Gold was speechless, after all he had done to her, after all that she had endured she still loved him, she wanted HIS forgiveness, when he should be the one that should be on his knees begging for her to forgive him. He said as much to her, holding her gaze with his own, willing her to understand how sorry he was and how much he wished he had made a different choice that day, instead of throwing her out.  
It's ok Rumple, I forgive you. "with those six words a wave of comfort and peace washed over his shoulders. "My darling Belle, words cannot describe how much I've missed you, how much I've regretted our parting words, how much I love you, wholly and completely."  
"I know Rumple, and I love you. I always have, and I always will. Would you like me to continue with my story?"  
"Yes...Yes...please continue."  
"So I was on my way back to you, when the Evil Queen caught me and took me to her tower, where she thought that she could get information out of me to use against you." Mr Gold moved uncomfortably in his seat. Although Belle didn't say what had happened, her tone curiously flat and unemotional as she talked of the tower, he knew that she had endured such cruel torture at the hands of his enemy, because of him. "I never once said anything to her, after a time she must have realised the futility, knowing that I would never give you up. I heard whispers from the guards that a "Curse" was coming and that the Evil Queen was almost manic in her desire to make it work. I was left to myself and was wondering how on earth I could possibly make my escape. I tried to chip away at the wall and floor but all I got was this fine red the Queen came in and told me that tomorrow she would enact the curse, that our whole world would be destroyed and i will have forgotten everything, you, our life, who I am...everything. I just couldn't stand the thought of forgetting you, it was the only thing that kept me going." Mr Gold was humbled again by this admission. This beautiful vision before him, loved him and held him so high in her thoughts, and he had not been there.  
"I heard you" He said. "I heard you cry out to me just before the curse claimed us all. I knew, well I had thought that you were dying. I couldn't get to you Belle, I was trapped in the dungeon of Charming and Snow's castle. I couldn't save you... I...I thought you were already dead...the Evil Queen she told me...but then as the curse was about to consume us all I heard you scream my name...Belle I died...I died inside because I couldn't get to you." At this admission Mr Gold lowered his head to Belle's shoulder and sighed, trying to stop himself from crying like a baby. Belle placed both arms around her beloved and pulled him close to her, "Shhhhh its ok, we don't have to talk about this all now..."  
"No", he said straightening up "I want to know, I need to know what happened to you Belle."  
"Well it was rather a strange thing, knowing that tomorrow she would enact the curse, and that she would do something to me to make you suffer to the bitter end, I planned a rather crazy stunt. I mixed the red dust I had been scraping off the floors with the water in the bucket that was in the corner of my room. I wrapped the wet paste in pieces of my muslin underclothes and placed them on parts of my body under my clothes. And I waited. The guards came the next day, ready to enact the final piece of cruelty. The knew where to hurt me, where to inflict small cuts so that I would ...eventually bleed out. They cut me and as I slumped to the floor calling your name, they left me, left the cell door open and just walked out. Sure in the knowledge that they left me dying bleeding over the floor. When I was sure they had left, I slowly got up. The guards menacing and big as they were, were not smart, and where they had stabbed me, was where they always hit me, I had counted on their doing this and had placed the muslin sacks in those places, so instead of piercing me, they pierced the red mixture, and that was what was spilled on the floor, and not my blood." Looking at his Belle's face, he could see the satisfaction on her face that she had bested the Queen.  
"I'm so sorry to have put you though that pain, Rumple. I learnt from the Queen that she had told you I was dead, and I knew that if I called your name in the last moments like she wanted me to, she would think that I would only do that if I were dying, and she would worry about me no longer." He looked at his love, so proud of her resourcefulness, amazed at the way her brain worked.  
"However did you think to do that sweetheart? But the curse...how did you escape that?"  
"Well..." Mr Gold was surprised to see Belle look sheepish. She gave a tinkling laugh..."I read it in a book in your library about a man faking his own death...I got the idea from that." He chuckled, his Belle ever the resourceful Belle, turning to her books.  
"As for the curse," she continued, her face becoming serious again, "I honestly don't know what happened there. I can only guess...and this may sound...silly...but..."  
"Tell me Belle," Mr Gold pleaded, "tell me how you did this, how you were able to come to me unharmed...for which I am truly grateful."  
"I got up of the cell floor, and made my way through the door and down the winding staircase to what I suspect was the main hall. I went out the front doors, no one was around, it was deathly quiet, and then I saw why." Belle took a deep breath before continuing "I could see this purple smoke billowing like a wave encompassing everything in it's path, and it was heading straight for the castle. As it neared, it seemed to slow down, almost caressing the surroundings as it drew closer and closer to me...It surrounded me...I could feel the wisps of smoke reaching out and touching me, wanting to take me into nothingness... I couldn't fight ...I couldn't breathe...I was starting to go under...with my last breath I said your name...and all of a sudden, I could swear I heard your voice command the smoke...you said... "Leave her, she is mine". "  
Belle stopped to look at Rumplestilskin, to see if that triggered anything, but he sat there shocked. "I... I don't understand ...however I am grateful... but I don't understand...the curse would have taken me before it had reached you...I could not have known." he admitted ashamedly.  
"its ok love," said Belle, again placing her hand on MrGold's arm, keeping contact. "I ...I think that when we kissed, some of your magic somehow transferred to me. And when the curse came it recognised its true master, and wanted to protect me even then. As it surrounded me ... it placed me in a bubble almost, and I felt this rush of wind, of power, and the next thing I knew I was in this room, unlike I had ever seen before. I still had all of my memories, I still remembered you, us, but I also had a set of memories that helped me understand what this new place was. I became Belle French, I had a "job" working with the gypsies...and I just knew I had to find you...to see if you were alright. But this new world is so much bigger...Rumple it was so daunting...I just wanted to be with you...but didn't know how to find you. I travelled with the group, always trying to find you until one day we were deciding where next to play, and we came across this town "Storybrooke Maine." We always research where we are going, and as I started to dig further, I realised it was our kingdom...the Evil Queen had moved everyone here...and so...I sent you the invitation, and wrote like mad :"our song" hoping that it might trigger your memory...but I see I didn't need to worry about that?" she made the last part a question.  
"Ahhh Belle, its been so hard since I sent you away" began Mr Gold. "Let me tell you what happened..."


End file.
